GLM 5.3 Subscription: Plans, Pricing & What You Get
Quick answer: GLM 5.3 is available through the GLM Coding Plan subscription — Lite $18/mo, Pro $80/mo, Max $168/mo (quarterly −20%, yearly −30%). All subscribers were upgraded to GLM 5.3 on launch day. The plan now uses a points-based quota where off-peak hours (outside 14:00–18:00 UTC+8 weekdays) consume 50% of standard points.
TL;DR
| Plan | Price/mo | Annual (−30%) | Quota | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | $18 | $12.6 | 10,000 credits/wk | Small repos, light iteration |
| Pro (Popular) | $80 | $56 | 6× Lite | Day-to-day dev, mid repos |
| Max | $168 | $117.6 | 14× Lite + priority | Mid-to-large repos, teams |
All plans: GLM 5.3 + latest flagships, 20+ agent tools, MCP tools (Pro+), off-peak 50% points.
What Is the GLM 5.3 Subscription?
Z.AI doesn't sell "GLM 5.3" as a standalone subscription — the model ships inside the GLM Coding Plan, and every Coding Plan subscriber was moved to GLM 5.3 on August 14, 2026. If you already subscribe, you're on 5.3 right now. If you don't, here's what subscribing gets you:
- GLM 5.3 (and rolling access to the latest flagship models) — no per-model upgrade fees.
- 20+ agent tools: ZCode, Claude Code, Cline, Kilo Code, OpenCode, Crush, Factory and more.
- Points-based quota: input, cached input, and output tokens metered separately — predictable and transparent.
- Off-peak discount: calls outside 14:00–18:00 UTC+8, Mon–Fri — including all weekend — cost 50% of standard points.
- MCP tools (Pro and up): Vision Analysis, Web Search, Web Reader, Zread.
Plan Comparison (2026)
Lite — $18/month
- 10,000 credits/week
- Built for lightweight iteration on small repos
- Rolling access to latest flagship models and features
- Default data privacy
- Annual: $12.6/month (~$0.42/day)
Pro — $80/month (Popular)
- 6× Lite usage (60,000 credits/week equivalent)
- All Lite benefits
- Priority access to the latest flagship models and features
- Curated MCP tool selection
- Faster generation speeds
- Built for day-to-day development on mid-sized repos
- Annual: $56/month
Max — $168/month
- 14× Lite usage (140,000 credits/week equivalent)
- All Pro benefits
- First access to latest flagship models and features
- Dedicated resources during peak times
- Built for advanced users on mid-to-large repos
- Annual: $117.6/month
Billing Options & Discounts
| Billing | Lite | Pro | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $18 | $80 | $168 |
| Quarterly (−20%) | $14.4/mo | $64/mo | $134.4/mo |
| Yearly (−30%) | $12.6/mo | $56/mo | $117.6/mo |
Team plans are also available (Individual / Team tabs on the subscribe page). There's also an invite program: earn up to 20% back on purchases, unlimited, never expires.
Points Quota: How It Works
The new system meters input, cached input, and output tokens separately:
- Cached input is the cheapest tier — long stable system prompts and context prefixes hit this rate.
- Off-peak = 50% points. Schedule heavy work for evenings/weekends.
- ZCode adds a 1.5× quota boost through August 31 (stacks with cache savings → up to 180% of standard quota).
How to Pick the Right Plan
- $18 Lite: solo dev, small repos, casual agent use.
- $80 Pro: the sweet spot for full-time devs — 6× quota, priority access, MCP tools. Most people should start here.
- $168 Max: heavy multi-repo work, teams sharing one subscription, or anyone who needs dedicated peak-time resources.
Tip: start with Pro on yearly billing ($56/mo) — it's the best value per credit and gets you priority access to new models like GLM 5.3 immediately.
FAQ
Is GLM 5.3 included in the subscription? Yes — all GLM Coding Plan subscribers were upgraded to GLM 5.3 on launch day, included in their plan price.
How much is the GLM 5.3 subscription? The GLM Coding Plan is $18 (Lite), $80 (Pro), or $168 (Max) per month; quarterly −20%, yearly −30%.
What are the off-peak hours? Peak is 14:00–18:00 UTC+8, Mon–Fri. Everything else — evenings, nights, weekends — costs 50% of standard points.
Can I get GLM 5.3 without a subscription? Not yet — the API is coming soon. Coding Plan and ZCode are the current access paths; open weights arrive in ~2 weeks.
Does the subscription include MCP tools? Pro and Max include a curated MCP selection (Vision Analysis, Web Search, Web Reader, Zread). Lite includes default privacy but fewer extras.
Can I cancel anytime? Standard subscription terms apply; the invite bonus (up to 20% back) never expires.
Sources
- Z.AI Coding Plan
- Z.AI: GLM-5.3: Frontier Coding with Emergent Cyber Capabilities (August 14, 2026)
- Z.AI Docs: GLM-5.3
Last updated: August 14, 2026